Alaskan Cultural Heritage & History Society

The Alaska Cultural Heritage SocietyThe history of Alaska is as amazing as it's beauty.The history goes back as far as one can see,and history itself always seems to be in the making from researchers such as ourselves,who try to keep the historic aspects alive,as though if it was yesterday.We're a group of volunteers who spend a few minutes of our time each month,to document new finds,new aspects of the history of the unknowns,and of course offer resources to those looking into the magnificant history we have here.There are so many facinating aspects to our history,from when man first set foot here on present day Alaska soil,to when the first feet of any kind,including animals unknowing leaving their footprints.Much of the history we know about,is the last couple of hundred years at best regarding the state.That's not surprising when most the history we read only documents that time frame.20,000 Years AgoThe Indigenous people are believed to have traveled across the Bering Land Bridge,following their food source for survival at the time,which was woolly mammoths,bison,and other large land animals migrating for a better food source.Evidence today is unearthed at various archeological sites across Alaska.So this is not just speculation,and you don't have to believe in global warming in this case.Due to the fact of the last ice age,the sea level was lower to some 400 feet.Thus,the freezing ice of the ocean water made the land bridge possible.It's hard to imagine the sight of the days the land bridge was busy with migration of all sorts.A facinating part of history,and we even consider that part of Alaska's history,even though it was live itself not knowing the making of it.Some of these travelers ancestry is still here today,including Eskimos, Athabascans, Tlingits, Haidas and Aleuts.The culture here is absolutely wonderful,and if you ever make it up this way,look into tours that give you a good indepth presentation of the history.We have some interesting history as well,when the first Europeans arrived for all sorts of reasons,adventures,and callings.

The first European to reach Alaska is believed to be Vitus Bering,sometime in the early 1700's.A decade,or so later the hunt for seal began,and that very well was Alaska's first boom,when it came to others venturing up this way for fortune.The first white settlement was founded in 1784 in Three Saints Bay in Kodiak,Alaska.1800's

Things really began taking off,and the hunt for furs took to land,and trappers from Europe migrated in great numbers,hoping to cash in on the fur trade,and with that came confrontation from the Native Alaskan Tribes,who depended on the land for their life,not a profit.One such battle was the "Battle of Sitka".This happened to be one of the last major battles between the invading Europeans,and Tling Tribe,and history behind this part of history could be made into a motion picture out of Hollwood.In 1802 the Tling attacked an establishment the Russians had populated,and killed 400 Russians with the remainder enslaved.

The slaved Russians were freed after paying a ransom to the Russian Governor Alexandr Baranov.The Governor returned 2 years later with a large contingent,and with help from another local tribe the Aleuts,ended up pushing the Tling from the territory.Years later the Aleuts face the same fate,as many of the tribes did back in the early history of European contact.The Russian history plays a part here,and many have no clue of that.

The enviroment also suffered another blow with the discovery of gold.The vast wilderness was lucky to be vast enough,and unhospitable,that perhaps that is the reason it's still here today.The resources this territory could produce,and the variety made Alaska one of the biggest American Dreams of all time.A few year later on,after the discovery of gold,oil,and other mineral resources,Russia decided to sell the territory to the U.S. Government.

The years that followed were of much confusion,lawlessness in some cases,and ignorance of laws put into place for specific reasons.One of those laws was protection of some degree of the Seal population,that hunting ships that traveled from afar,we're not turned back,or monitored in their hunting,thus over hunting in great numbers,that the day was close where the populations of seal could have been nothing but a memory.The Alaska Gold Rush 1897-1899

Whether you refere to it as the Klondike gold rush,the Yukon gold rush,or the last great gold rush,Alaska certainly has the title.With the discovery of this precious metal,brought a 100,000 people with it,and stories that would take centuries to tell,and we hope to add some of the adventures,of those men who put pen to paper,and recorded their experiences during the great gold rush many years ago.Fishing was another boom,and still is today.

There is history with every trade here,and history with every way a person had to make a living to survive.Alaska has the stories,the tales,and the mystery of so much that is remembered,and we dwell on what might have been lost in the past that was not recorded.So much happened in the state of Alaska,well before statehood in 1959,and we've had plenty of history aftwards take place in our great state.Our GoalOur goal is to educate others,and offer resources to those looking into the history of Alaska.Whether it's genealogy,historical interests,heritage,or archeological interests you are pursuing,we hope to be of a useful source to you,pointing you in the right direction so you get an "A +" on that test.ROOTSWEB ALASKA PAGEYou'll find alot of resources here at the Rootsweb Alaska page.From history,genealogy,military,and historical events.St James Mn NewsALASKA HISTORICAL SOCIETYCheck back for frequent updates.If you'd like to see something added to this page,contact Shawna TwoClaw at,or Glenda Solis at the address below.Contact (Shawna TwoClaw,Glenda Solis)